X-ray apparatus are commonly known in the field of diagnostic medicine, and are utilized for a varied number of medical examination procedures. Certain X-ray apparatus are dedicated to a specified area or a medical examination room in which patients are brought for a specified examination procedure(s). These apparatus are typically provided as dedicated hardware that is fixedly mounted within the specified area(s) or medical examination room(s) of the facility to which the patient is brought. Alternatively, there are other known X-ray apparatus that are either mobile or portable. Mobile X-ray examination apparatus are typically defined by a wheeled chassis or cart having an X-ray generator mounted thereon in which the apparatus can be moved as needed between rooms or other areas within a hospital or other medical facility, providing more flexibility than fixed apparatus versions. Portable X-ray examination apparatus are somewhat more compact than the mobile apparatus versions noted above, the latter diagnostic apparatus being characterized by a foldable form of wheeled structure that enables movement in and out of a medical facility so as to enable X-ray examinations to be conducted remotely, thereby providing yet another level of versatility in enabling certain X-ray examinations to take made, as needed.
Each of the above-noted types of X-ray apparatus are well known for purposes of incorporating analog or film-based radiography, in which each apparatus relies upon X-ray film or individual film cassettes that must be replaced following each exposure and further requiring that an available supply or inventory of film or film cassettes be continually maintained. Use of X-ray film or film cassettes requires precision in their alignment between the X-ray source and the cassette/film in order to obtain an acceptable image. In addition, each individual X-ray exposure that is taken using analog film and/or film cassettes must be separately removed from the examination room in which the exposure is taken and subsequently placed on a light table or similar apparatus for analysis/review, requiring additional time and effort.
More recent advances to X-ray diagnostic equipment have been made in the field of digital radiography, providing benefits through the use of digital flat panel detectors in lieu of a supply of traditional film and/or film cassettes. Advantageously, digital flat panel detectors such as those sold by Carestream Health, Varian, Samsung and GE Medical Systems, among others, can be used in real time and do not require replacement following each exposure such that a single digital flat panel detector, based on a single charge of a contained detector battery, can be continuously used for the acquisition of multiple exposures, thereby increasing throughput as well as being time and cost effective in terms of their implementation and use. Typically, digital flat panel detectors are connected to X-ray generation equipment through either wired and/or wireless communication techniques.
It is a general desire in the medical diagnostic field to be able to upgrade or retrofit existing film-based (analog) X-ray diagnostic apparatus in order to enable digital radiography capability and thereby provide enhanced and improved versatility to patients and caregivers in a hospital or other medical facility. Specific mobile and portable x-ray diagnostic apparatus are presently available that are already configured for digital radiography. However, wholesale conversions or movement into this technology, based on the costs of digital radiographic apparatus in particular, is prohibitively expensive. It is therefore a further general desire in the field to provide such enhancements to existing analog diagnostic apparatus, but without significantly impacting the cost, labor and/or time efforts for making such conversions.